Ola Bilingual Program

Portuguese / English: K - 5 Two-Way Bilingual Immersion
Olá
is a two-way Portuguese–English bilingual immersion program within King
Open. Parents must designate Olá as a choice when they register their
children for school. Olá is a semi-autonomous program, and students from
Olá and those in the regular King Open program have separate academic
classes. Both programs, however, follow the same basic curriculum, and
teachers from both programs meet together by grade-level.

Olá students alternate between Portuguese and English, with the goals
that students become bilingual and bi-literate and celebrate the
multiculturalism reflective of the Portuguese-speaking countries and
communities represented in the program. Olá is a vital part of the King
Open school community.

Our Mission
The program is designed to:

teach the Portuguese language and culture from the Portuguese-speaking world from grades K - 8.

Integrate instruction in all academic subjects with Portuguese and
English language development so that all students become bilingual and
biliterate.

develop children's creativity and critical thinking

provide students with a diverse ethnic environment that develops cross-cultural understanding and friendships.

Why Become Bilingual?
In today's job market, bilingualism and biliteracy are valuable professional assets

Why Learn Portuguese?
Because Portuguese is:

the 6th-most-spoken language in the world

one of the languages most used in international business and international organizations today

a big advantage in the Massachusetts workplace where there is a large population of Portuguese speakers

Curriculum

Students who choose Ola are taught the King Open curriculum in
Portuguese and English, developing academic skills in both languages,
and following state and local frameworks and benchmarks.

The heritage, language, and culture of the Portuguese-speaking world
are explored academically through theater, songs, dance, and
literature.

Hands-on projects integrated into the curriculum of each grade level.

Field trips that connect students to the rich local Portuguese-speaking community.